A flatness control system includes a work stand of a finishing line, a plurality of actuators, a flatness measuring device, and a controller. The work stand includes a pair of vertically aligned work rolls. A first work roll of the pair of work rolls includes a plurality of flatness control zones configured to apply a localized pressure to a corresponding region on a substrate. Each actuator corresponds with a one of the plurality of flatness control zones. The flatness measuring device is configured to measure an actual flatness profile of the substrate. The controller is configured to adjust the plurality of actuators such that the localized pressures modify the actual flatness profile to achieve the desired flatness profile at the exit of the stand. The thickness and a length of the substrate remain substantially constant when the substrate exits the work stand.

A 20-high rolling mill configured for rolling a metal strip, which includes a housing system comprising two parts capable of moving relative to one another, respectively forming an upper housing part, configured to transmit a clamping force to the four backup roller assemblies, of the upper group, and an upper housing part, configured to transmit a clamping force to the four backup roller assemblies of the lower group, and a door cooperating, in a closed position, with a peripheral frame of a fixed frame structure of the housing system surrounding the maintenance window, said door closing, in a sealed manner, said maintenance window. A system of axial stops for the second intermediate rolls accompanies the movements of the upper and lower housing parts.

A rack system (SR) for the storage of rolls of a rolling mill including a support frame (Cha) configured to support several racks (Rac), distributed over the length of the support frame at different positions along the length of the rack, at least one first rack (Ra1) and one second rack (Ra2) configured to rest while bearing on the support frame (Cha). The first rack (Ra1) is configured to pass from a storage position (PS) for which said first rack (Rac1) rests bearing simultaneously on a first support (Cha1) and a second support (Ch2) of the support frame (Cha) up to a transport position (PT) for which the first rack (Rac1) is configured to be stowed in the free clearance (IT) below the level of the second rack (Rac2) resting on said support frame (Cha) at an intermediate position.

A rolling mill (100) includes: a rolling-mill cage (10) containing a plurality of cylinders, including two working cylinders (12) and two pairs of intermediate cylinders (13), a main gate (30) on the front face of the rolling mill (100) for accessing all the cylinders, a device (20) for the lateral movement of the intermediate cylinders (13) of the push-push type including first and second pairs of hydraulic actuators (22, 22, 21, 21) each configured so as to exert a thrust force (P) to allow a lateral movement of the intermediate cylinders (13), a removable small gate (40) fixed to the main gate (30), allowing access to the cylinders (12) and (13), and integrating the second pair of hydraulic actuators (21, 21) so that opening and closing the small gate (40) does not interfere with the opening and closing of the main gate (30).

A metal strip rolling mill installation including a rolling mill (L), having a roll stand and a set of rolls, inside the stand. The installation includes a robotic system (1) suitable for performing the rolling mill roll changing operations. A gripping tool change magazine (MAG) includes a first grasping tool configured for inserting and extracting a work roll, a second grasping tool configured for inserting and extracting first intermediate rolls, a third grasping tool is configured for inserting and extracting second intermediate rolls, and a fourth grasping tool is configured for inserting and extracting sets of rollers.

A method for changing work roll in a rolling mill which limits the risk of scratching the work roll, or even the risk of scratching the metal strip, upon extracting or inserting the work roll, by virtue of a mechanical separation element, in particular of the branches of a fork system, inserted by a robotic element.

Disclosed is a rolling mill including a frame, at least one pair of working cylinders capable of defining the air gap of the strip to be rolled, as well at least one line for spraying a lubricant and/or coolant fluid, arranged next to the plane of the strip to be rolled. The line is rigidly connected to the frame via a hinged mechanical link, the mechanical link including a resilient unit forcing the line into at least one operational position, toward the plane of the strip, and allowing, in the event that a force on the line tends to separate the line, greater than a threshold value, the deformation of the resilient unit against the return force thereof, and thus the retraction of the line toward a position separated from the at least one operational position.

The invention concerns a 4-high/6-high/18 HS cassette-type roll stand in which bending force is transmitted to bending journals (6) of roll inserts (7) by piston-cylinder units that are connected with Mae West blocks (3). Here, the piston at the piston rod (1) is fixedly connected with the Mae West block (3) and the cylinders (4) fit around the bending journals (6) at the inserts (7) of the rolls, so that thereby bending force can be transmitted directly to the bending journals (6) of the roll inserts (7).

A roll rearrangement device 100 includes a carriage 110 that can travel in the axial directions of a second intermediate roll 4 and a backup roll 5 provided in a multi-high rolling mill 200, a support beam 130 that is provided so as to be movable with the travelling of the carriage 110 and taken in and out of the multi-high rolling mill 200, and two roll holding sections that are provided with an interval in the axial direction of the support beam 130 and can attach and detach the second intermediate roll 4 and the backup roll 5. This makes it possible to provide a roll rearrangement device and a roll rearrangement method that can improve the safety of rearrangement work as compared with conventional ones by realizing parallel insertion and extraction of rolls during roll rearrangement.

Within a housing, divided backing bearing assembled shafts are each moved on any one of a housing bore upper surface 8a constituting the housing, spray frame upper surfaces 9, and rails 13, 19, and 20 of a changing carriage 12 by sliding apparatuses, and outside the housing, the divided backing bearing assembled shafts are extracted from within the housing or inserted into the housing by being moved on the rails 13, 19, and 20 of the changing carriage 12 by sliding apparatuses. There are thus provided a rolling mill that makes changing of divided backing bearing assembled shafts in the rolling mill, and a method of changing the divided backing bearing assembled shafts in the rolling mill.